Contamination of heavy metals represents one of the most pressing threats to water and soil resources, as well as human health. Phytoremediation can be potentially used to remediate metal contaminated sites. In this study, concentrations of copper, zinc, iron, and magnesium accumulated by native plant species were determined in field conditions of Hame Kasi iron and copper mine in the central part of Iran in Hamadan province. The results showed that metal accumulation by plants differed among species and tissue bodies. Species grown in substrata with elevated metals contained significantly higher metals in plants. Metals accumulated by plants were mostly distributed in root tissues, suggesting that an exclusion strategy for metal tolerance exists widely amongst them. The mentioned species could accumulate relatively higher metal concentrations far above the toxic concentration in the plant shoots. With high translocation factor, metal concentration ratio of plant shoots to roots indicates internal detoxification metal tolerance mechanism; thus, they have potential for phytoextraction. The factors affecting metal accumulation by plant species including metal concentrations, pH, electrical conductivity, and nutrient status in substrata were measured. Mostly, concentrations of zinc and copper in both aboveground and underground tissues of the plants were significantly, positively related to their total in substrata, while iron, zinc, and copper were negatively correlated to soil phosphorus.

This study aims to assess the extent of metal accumulation by plants found in a mining area in Hamedan Province in the central west part of Iran. It also investigates to find suitable plants for phytoextraction and phytostabilization as two phytoremediation strategies. Plants with a high bioconcentration factor (BCF) and low translocation factor (TF) have the potential for phytostabilization while plants with both BCFs and TFs greater than one have the potential to be used for phytoextraction. In this study, shoots and roots of the 12 plant species and the associated soil samples were collected. The collected samples were then analyzed by measurement of total concentrations of trace elements (Pb, Zn, Mn and Fe) using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Simultaneously, BCF and TF parameters were calculated for each element. Results showed that although samples suitable for phytoextraction of Pb, Zn, Mn and Fe and phytostabilization of Fe were not detected, Scrophularia scoparia was the most suitable for phytostabilization of Pb, Centaurea virgata, Echinophora platyloba and Scariola orientalis had the potential for phytostabilization of Zn and Centaurea virgata and Cirsium congestum were the most efficient in phytostabilization of Mn. Present study showed that native plant species growing on contaminated sites may have the potential for phytoremediation.

Various industrial activities contribute heavy metals to the soil environment directly or indirectly through the release of solid wastes, waste gases, and wastewater. Phytoremediation can be potentially used to remedy metal-contaminated sites. A major step towards the development of phytoremediation of heavy metal-impacted soils is the discovery of the heavy metal hyperaccumulation in plants. This study evaluated the potential of 7 species growing on a contaminated site in an industrial area. Several established criteria to define a hyperaccumulator plant were applied. The case study was represented by an industrial town in the Hamedan province in the central-western part of Iran. This study showed that most of the sampled species were able to grow in heavily metal-contaminated soils and were also able to accumulate extraordinarily high concentrations of some metals such as Pb, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn. Based on the obtained results and using the most common criteria, Camphorosma monospeliacum for Pb and Fe, and Salsola soda and Circium arvense for Pb can be classified as hyperaccumulators and, therefore, they have suitable potential for the phytoremediation of contaminated soils

The aim of present study was to identify accumulator plants that are effective for phytoremediation. We chose a mine of Iron and Copper named Hame Kasi that located western north of Hamedan city as a polluted area. In this region concentration of heavy metals is several times more than non-polluted area. Seventeen plant species and 6 soil samples were collected from this region for determination of heavy metals content. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) was used for analysis of heavy metals in soil and plant samples, then tested plant species were grouped on the basis of their accumulation capability of heavy metals. The results of this research showed that there are some hyper accumulator plants in this area that can concentrate heavy metals in their different parts thus they can be used for remediation of polluted area.

As a result of human activities such as mining, metal pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems today. Phytoremediation, an emerging cost-effective, non-intrusive, and aesthetically pleasing technology that uses the remarkable ability of plants to concentrate elements can be potentially used to remediate metal-contaminated sites. The aim of this work was to assess the extent of metal accumulation by plants found in a mining area in Hamedan province with the ultimate goal of finding suitable plants for phytoextraction and phytostabilization (two processes of phytoremediation). To this purpose, shoots and roots of the 12 plant species and the associated soil samples were collected and analyzed by measurement of total concentrations of some elements (Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) using atomic absorption spectrophotometer and then biological absorption coefficient, bioconcentration factor, and translocation factor parameters calculated for each element. Our results showed that none of the plants were suitable for phytoextraction and phytostabilization of Fe, Zn, and Cu, while Chenopodium botrys, Stipa barbata, Cousinia bijarensis, Scariola orientalis, Chondrila juncea, and Verbascum speciosum, with a high biological absorption coefficient for Mn, were suitable for phytoextraction of Mn, and C. bijarensis, C. juncea, V. speciosum, S. orientalis, C. botrys, and S. barbata, with a high bioconcentration factor and low translocation factor for Mn, had the potential for the phytostabilization of this element.